


FireHeart

by Erulisse17



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: (Yes. Yes he does. Eventually.), Based loosely on the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Does he transform into a handsome prince?, Dragon!Ben, F/M, Princess Rey, Rey is snarky and sassy and taking none of Ben's BS, dragon and princess au, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erulisse17/pseuds/Erulisse17
Summary: She didn't know it was a dragon's cave at first.Especially not Kylo Ren's cave, the dread black dragon of Chandrilla.But she's already run away from her kingdom, so offering to be a dragon's princess and cook and clean and organize his treasure is a much better choice than getting eaten or going back.Besides, beneath the black scales and the terrifying teeth, he seems almost... kind.And almost as lonely as she is.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 39
Kudos: 147
Collections: Reylo Moodboard Inspiration





	1. In Which the Princess Rey Discovers A Cave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jacyevans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacyevans/gifts).



  
  


Moodboard by [Jacyevans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacyevans/pseuds/jacyevans)

* * *

She didn't know it was a dragon's cave at first.

After running for hours in the rain and mud, Rey had spotted a flicker of light above her in the darkness, and with the last bit of strength she possessed, crawled up the mountain and flung herself inside the stone opening.

The cave was dark, but dry. Whatever light she had seen from outside was gone, or maybe had never been there to begin with. Pushing back her red wool hood, she tried to wring the excess water from her hair, cloak, and dress, with little success. Her feet slipped on loose pebbles as she moved farther in, scowling and squinting in the darkness while she listened and watched for any sign her shelter was occupied. After a few minutes of silence punctuated by the pouring rain and a few flashes of lightning, she came to the relieved conclusion that she was alone.

Reaching her hands out into the cave’s penetrating gloom, she finally came in contact with a curved wall, surprised to find it rather warm. She had heard of such things as sleeping volcanoes and the underground hot springs of western Corellia, so perhaps she had stumbled into one of those. With a grateful prayer to any listening gods for the warmth, whatever the source, Rey stretched out on the uneven floor, brushing away the sharper rocks that poked her side, and fell deeply asleep.

…

Kylo stared at the sleeping figure curled against his side with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.

The second she had all but collapsed into his cave, he had tensed, coiling his muscles to spring forward and devour the intruder with a single snap of his impressive array of teeth. But the wind carried her scent to his nose, of earth and rain covering rich velvet and luxurious silk, of exhaustion and fear layered with defiance and resolve. A puzzling bouquet, to say the least.

She didn’t immediately scrabble for the gold or gems at her feet, instead brusquely pushing the piles of riches aside before settling on the ground to sleep, but that might only be because she hadn’t seen them yet. But what brought her to the cave of Kylo Ren, black dragon of Chandrila, if not to seek his treasure? 

She was certainly unprepared to fight him, with no armor and only a small silver knife in her boot. Not that he minded - the hint of silver smelled infinitely better than the reek of iron and steel most knights carried. His nostrils twitched, and he detected the smell of new gold in her bag - a bracelet, or circlet with pearls and opals.

Aristocracy, if not royalty, he guessed. Lost, perhaps? But no reputable roads passed by his mountain, nothing but goat tracks and deer trails, so she must have come a long way. As she snored, he drew closer, the mystery of this girl enticing him. Her hair, escaping from three buns, was starting to curl becomingly by her cheeks, and as he watched, she shivered slightly under her damp cloak, pressing into his scaled side.

His small puff of breath ruffled her clothes as it dried them, and she let out a sleepy hum of happiness, snuggling closer. Setting his head on the floor, his nose barely a foot away from her freckled face, Kylo allowed his own eyes to close, putting off his questions until the morning, the mud caked on her clothing unable to mask the peculiar feminine fragrance filling his nose as he drifted to sleep.

…

Rey awoke warmer than she had been in days, and her body finally relaxed at the prospect of not freezing to death. Her bed was still uncomfortable, but was infinitely better than damp ground with bushes and trees as her only covering that she had been using for the last week. Yawning, she tried to burrow deeper into the warm wall, crinkling her nose as the surrounding pebbles cascaded to the floor with metallic clinks.

Wait.

Her eyes snapped open, and she frowned in confusion at the enormous pile of gold coins just next to her, the floor littered with jewels of every size and color. Slowly sitting up, she froze as the wall behind her moved. Or, more accurately, _breathed_ a warm gust of air past her.

Gulping, she turned to stare at the dark, scaled form, her eyes following a long line of spikes to leathery wings folded just above the large arm she had snuggled against, up to the long neck that curved around the rest of the cave before her gaze landed on a huge head, bright red eyes shining against the black scales.

“Who are you?” The dragon demanded in a deep rumble.

Rey scrambled backwards. “You’re Kylo Ren,” she whispered.

The black dragon narrowed his eyes. “I know who I am. Who are _you?”_

She swallowed and gathered her courage. “I’m Rey.”

The spiked ridge above his right eye lifted curiously. “Not ‘Princess Rey’?”

Her chin lifted in defiance. “Not by choice.”

A gust of brimstone-laced air swirled around her as he chuckled in amusement. “Ah. An unhappy princess. How unusual.”

Rey bristled at his sarcasm. “I’m only a princess because the man who calls himself my grandfather bought me from servitude when I was a child. He thought it would make me grateful. Instead it allowed me to see him as the vile manipulator he truly is.”

“Well, that’s an original story at least,” the dragon tilted his head. “And you ran away. Let me guess - unsuitable marriage?”

“He wanted me to marry an evil wizard,” she growled. “Snoke is three times my age and twice the letch. I’d rather die than marry him.”

“That can be arranged.” Kylo drawled, and she gulped a little. “As fascinating as your tale is, the point remains that you have discovered my hoard, and as such, I cannot let you leave.”

Frowning at him, she propped her hands on her hips. “What? Why?”

“Because if I let you go, next thing I know there’ll be a gold-hungry army lined up outside, complete with catapults and pikes and shields. Now, a knight or two I can handle - they’re actually a bit of fun to play with - but dealing with an entire kingdom’s armed forces is too much of a nuisance.” He eyed her speculatively. “I suppose I’ll just have to eat you.”

Slightly alarmed, Rey took a step back. “Wait a minute, I ran away from my own kingdom. I’m certainly not in any position to send an army after you.”

“So you say. No, best not to take any chances,” he told her, then opened his mouth, showing off razor-sharp rows of teeth.

“What if I stayed?!” She yelped, pressing back against his tail.

The array of silver teeth paused, then slowly closed as he tilted his head. “Stayed? And did what, exactly?”

“I… Well, there has to be a number of things that are inconvenient or beneath you, as a truly magnificent dragon,” she offered, and while he snorted at the obvious flattery, still seemed intrigued. “I could fetch things for you, or cook, or help… clean up a bit.”

Kylo frowned, casting a defensive look around his cave. “This is clean!”

Raising an eyebrow, she motioned to a dusty nook. “And that pile of dead rats and spiders is for… decoration?”

“They’re for later,” he shifted uncomfortably, glancing around at the cobwebbed corners of his cave for the first time in a while. “Besides, no princess knows how to clean. Or cook.”

“They do if they get bored of learning embroidery stitches and bully the chef into teaching them.”

He blinked at that bit of information. “What else can you do?”

“I can make stew and roast rabbit. I started learning Latin, understand the basics of fencing, and can sharpen swords and daggers. I can cast exactly one spell, make two potions, scream at the appropriate time and volume if carried off by a giant and curtsey twenty-five different ways,” she rattled off, half in disgust. 

The black dragon stared at her a long while, as if trying to puzzle her out. “And in return?”

Rey glanced up in surprised hope. “In return… I can stay here, under your protection, and you deter anyone who tries to take me back.”

“I do enjoy roast rabbit.” His bright red eyes studied her. “Very well, I’ll take you on for a trial period. If it doesn’t work out, I suppose I can always eat you.”

Smiling in spite of his threat, she reached out and shook one of his long, curved claws. “Agreed. Now, would you like to eat the dead rats and spiders now, or shall I save them for supper?”

His dark look only caused her eyes to sparkle brighter as she gave a light peal of laughter, and she could have sworn the corner of his mouth twitched up just a little.

As she went off to investigate the tunnel he motioned her to, Rey mused to herself that perhaps living with a dragon wouldn’t be so bad after all.


	2. In Which Rey Begins Her Duties and Kylo Grows Accustomed

Rey found herself rather enjoying being a dragon’s princess.

A series of smaller, human-sized caves connected to the front treasure room by a tunnel, including a large kitchen and a rather nice, if somewhat gloomily decorated bedroom. The grey curtains and blankets on the four-poster bed were not exactly to her taste, nor were the ornate mahogany desk and wardrobe, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain. 

Rey set her small satchel of belongings next to the desk, then hung up her mud-splattered cloak in the wardrobe, wondering at the collection of formal men’s clothes already inhabiting the space. Perhaps Kylo had kept a manservant, or entertained a prince before taking on a princess?

Shrugging, she made her way to the kitchen, and stared in puzzlement between the well-stocked larder and the dented pots and pans, many with wobbling handles and growing cracks. Clearly whatever human had lived here before was not much of a cook.

Kylo glanced up with a quizzical look when she marched into the main cave with a list of missing utensils and cookware, as well as a few requests for flour, sugar, and other ingredients currently missing from the pantry. She could have sworn that once his surprise faded, there was a small, amused quirk to his thin lips, showing off the rows of silver teeth behind them.

“I can make do with what’s there for a few days, but having some proper kitchenware would be extremely helpful. Besides dinner, what else would you like me to work on?”

The black dragon regarded her for a moment, as if surprised by her willingness to take on duties voluntarily, then waved a clawed forearm for her to follow him and leading the way down one of the tunnels to a sizable cavern. While the first cave she had discovered had piles of gold and gems littered across it, this room was lined with mostly-empty shelves while crowns, weapons, suits of armor, mirrors, bottles, and assorted jewelry haphazardly scattered across the floor.

Rey surveyed the vision of chaos for a moment before slowly turning to Kylo, who scratched the back of his scaled head sheepishly.

“This is where I’ve, um… stored the odds and ends I’ve collected over the years. I keep meaning to organize it, but haven’t ever found the time.”

Stifling her laughter, Rey nodded. “Well, this will certainly keep me busy for a while.”

“Some of the cheaper enchanted swords are getting rusty, there’s at least three sets of armor floating around in there, and I know there’s one magic mirror that’s starting to tarnish. If you finish with that, the library could use some categorization as well.”

She whirled around, excitement filling her eyes. “You have a library?”

Blinking at her enthusiasm, he beckoned her to a cave further down the stone hallway and to the left. Rey stepped into the mouth of the dark cavern and gaped as magicked torches sputtered to life and illuminated the rows upon rows of books. 

While not quite in the same disarray as the treasure room, books were still piled in precarious heaps, tilted or lying flat on the shelves as cobwebs and dust permeated the space. She could see a marked semi-circle of destruction, including a long askew table, a few toppled human-sized armchairs, and one side table with a broken leg, that looked suspiciously like the aftermath from a large, angry tail whipping around.

“I haven’t used it for… a while,” Kylo informed her in a stiff tone. “But it could use some… straightening up. If you have time.”

Looking up at his red eyes, which she now saw had streaks of amber in them, she gave him a wide smile, which only seemed to fluster him further, and replied, “I’d be happy to.”

***

That night, after making a rather decent meal, if she did say so herself, of cooked venison with mushrooms and apples, Rey bid Kylo goodnight, startling him for a moment before he returned the phrase, and then she adjourned to her room, tired but happy.

Making a face at her cream velvet and silk dress, now spotted with grease and dust from her day’s duties, Rey sighed and went to the wardrobe, hoping that perhaps one of the men’s shirts she had seen would work as nightclothes. As she opened the doors, Rey paused, rubbed her eyes, then peered at the selection of nightgowns all exactly her size hanging before her. Closing the doors, she wondered what had happened to her cloak, then cautiously peeked in to see a row of elegant cloaks, a range of colors and fabrics, plus her own, now perfectly spotless and clean.

She stepped back a moment, then shook her head with an amazed laugh. “Well, it’s a dragon’s cave. Of  _ course  _ there’s a magic wardrobe.”

The armoire creaked in smug amusement, and Rey patted the door softly before opening it again with the clear thought of comfortable nightgowns.

As she settled into the featherbed, the pillows smelling faintly of dust and a masculine, oaky scent that reminded her of rich earth, Rey couldn’t help but smile. She had done it. After a week of hiding under bushes and sleeping beneath trees to escape the Emperor (she still refused to call him ‘Grandfather’) Palpatine and the awful prospect of marrying the wizard Snoke, the thought of which caused her to shudder beneath her coverlet, she had found a safe haven - an odd designation for the cave of a notoriously bad-tempered dragon, but a correct one nonetheless. Cooking and cleaning and whatever other menial tasks Kylo might have for her were leagues better than the fate awaiting her in the empire of Exegol.

As she drifted off to sleep, Rey had the strangely comforting thought that finding a dragon was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

***

Distant sounds of sizzling bacon and the cracking of eggs drifted into Kylo’s ear the next morning as he lay curled on his bed of gold, and the delicious scent went a long way in confirming that having a princess around might not be so bad.

“Morning!” Rey’s bright voice greeted him as she stepped into the main cave.

“Mrrrgggggg,” was his only response. On the other hand, perky morning princesses were the worst.

Undeterred, she simply came around to his head. “Breakfast is almost ready. Would you like tea or coffee?”

He gave her another sleepy growl, and she nodded cheerily. “Coffee it is!”

The tantalizing smell of breakfast finally lured him into the dining cave, where she had already set his place at the end of the dragon-sized stone table. They ate in companionable silence \-  companionable on her part, grumpy and half-awake on his  - before she informed him of her plans to start on the treasure room today, for all the world as if she was  _ actually  _ looking forward to it.

A few hours later, after listening to the happy humming and occasional coughs coming from the storage cave, Kylo cracked his neck, spread his wings, and took off into the sky, the joy of flight alleviating the last bit of grogginess. He let out a fireball, just to remind the villages beneath who he was, and then set off about his business.

Kylo returned near the end of the day, landing awkwardly in order to not crush the bags in his right hand. Rey came out to the main cave with a wide smile and dirt smudged on her forehead beneath the kerchief holding back her hair. He offered her the smaller sack first, watching her eyes light up as she opened it to find most of the cookware she had asked for. 

“These are perfect! Thank you!” She beamed at him, causing an odd tightness in his chest.

“I’ve got some sides of beef for dinner as well,” he motioned to the larger bag, then followed her back to the kitchen to set them down.

On their way back, he poked his head into the treasure room and gave a small hum of approval at the fair amount of progress. Continuing on, he stepped into the dark mouth of the library, waiting for the torches to light up so Rey could see.

“The price of the kitchen things is a book I have. Or once had.” He explained, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the heaped tomes littered around the room. “ _ A Journey Through Night and Fire _ , by DeMontemorency.”

“Oh,” Rey paused in thought, as if concerned her requests were inconvenient. “Is it valuable?”

She had spent the better part of the day sorting through gold and gems, yet still somehow concerned about his wealth. She certainly was an odd princess.

“Not to me,” he answered, checking the next disorganized section with no luck. “It’s dry, boring, and impossible to read without getting a headache. Perfect for Maz.” 

Frowning, he squinted at the upper shelves and blew a puff of air to better read the titles, then choked at the sheer amount of dust now floating in the air. Backing up, he coughed again, raising his wings in instinctual panic.

“Wait, don’t!” Rey cried too late as he flapped his large leathery wings and sent the rest of the dust motes into the air. They both escaped to the main cave, wheezing and gasping until they could breathe fresh air again.

Once he caught his breath, Kylo turned to see her still doubled over and fighting for air. A small seed of worry growing, he took a concerned step closer. “Are you al-”

Kylo was suddenly interrupted by a loud giggle, and he realized with a start that the tears streaming down her face were from laughter.

“Were you…” She gasped out in between hiccuping breaths, “were you saving the dust for later too?”

About to growl defensively at her, his temper flaring at her mockery, she pointed to his side and choked out, “You look like a walking castle!”

Turning to peer at his side, Kylo had to admit the grey coated scales did look fairly similar to a stonework wall. The corner of his mouth twitched up in spite of his irritation, and he shrugged a little. 

“Perhaps the villagers will mistake me for a turret,” he mumbled, and was rewarded by another bright peal of laughter, her smile and eyes sparkling at him in a way that squeezed the center of his chest even tighter.

He sighed heavily and frowned at his wings, grime now caked in the creases. “That’s going to take ages to clean.”

Rey, still grinning, took a studious step back and canted her head at his dust-streaked chest and tail. “I think I can help with that,” she offered, a suspicious amount of glee in her tone.

An hour later, Kylo half-considered informing Rey that if she ever told anyone about this, he’d eat her in an instant, but the soothing sensation of the brush against his scales made the effort of growling threats seem exhausting and unnecessary.

“Alright, left wing done. Roll over a bit, will you?”

  
Shifting so she could reach the spines along his upper back, Kylo found his eyelids drooping shut as the hypnotic  _ swish-swish _ of the brush and the warmth of Rey’s hand as she braced herself against his side slowly lulled him to sleep. His last thought before succumbing to sleep was the strangeness of Rey’s presence in his solitary life- and stranger still, how it didn’t feel strange at all.


End file.
